Tokyo’s governor Shintaro Ishihara has taken a break from bashing manga to stress the need for Japan to become a military state and to develop its own nuclear arsenal, lest it be torn apart by wicked foreigners.

“If Japan doesn’t become a powerful military state it will certainly lose all standing in the world.”

Alluding to President Obama’s supposed desire for a nuclear free world, he responds that Japan should have its own nuclear arsenal:

“Japan should pursue them. If we wanted to we could have as many as we like. We have a mountain of plutonium.”

He also proposes that Japan should use its space program to develop missiles of its own.

Though he may be a crazed far right xenophobe addled by senility, it is hard to deny the fundamental strategic logic of his position (even if it is simply stating the obvious):

“Japan is the only nation in the world to be so closely surrounded by hostile nuclear powers intent on seizing its territory; North Korea, China and Russia have all made or are intent on assailing Japan.

We must consider how to oppose these powers. This is no longer an age where economic power alone will suffice.”

Amazingly, 2ch actually appears to be largely against him:

“Shut up already, you old fool!”

“As expected of the great leader the citizens of the capital (those over 40 at any rate) have chosen!”

“Nuclear deterrence is pointless unless you have nuclear subs. America will never let us have them, so end of discussion. You need to consider America making Japan into one of its hypothetical enemies.”

He went on and on about the Olympics but in the end he had no connections and lost the bid.

He’s all talk, he should retire.”

“His arguments are as sound as ever!”

“He’s right though. China, Korea and Russia will all keep coming after Japanese territory unless opposed.”

“This is 2ch but you’re all opposing him!? Dirty left wing spies must be active here…”

“It’s because of all those filthy lolicon.”

“When Argentina invaded the Falklands in 1982, the UK crushed them in short order.

Japan has the Kuriles, Takeshima, the Senkaku isles, Tsushima, Yonagunijima, etc., etc. You have to take care of your own affairs yourself.”

“It’s pointless to have them as such a small nation. With three nukes the country would be done for. It’s best to rely on our American masters to protect us.”

“There is no way America will ever use nukes to save us.”

“They won’t use them for us, but at least they are in the background.”

“People who depend on America will end up in trouble eventually. We have to do something before that…”

“I approve of us becoming a military state!”

“Militaries cost a fortune. Although they can manage it with arms exports…”

“You can’t trust anything this guy has to say. It sounds as if he just says this stuff to drum up support amongst his conservative backers.”

“I support Isihihara!”

“This senile old fool needs to retire as soon as possible.”

“Then go ahead and build nukes in Tokyo! The citizens of the capital will be just fine with that I expect.”

“He’s right. Anyone who disagrees needs to find a successful example of a non-military developed nation to point to!”

“Nuclear arms are a last resort. First we need a normal constitution and a normal military strategy. It’s a miracle we survived this long like this when surrounded by those countries. It’s only thanks to America.”

“I want to know what Ishihara’s definition of ‘military state’ is.”

“There is no way our incompetent government is even up to the task of pursuing a nuclear arsenal. They can’t even manage a nuclear power station. And the people criticising Ishihara are not Japanese! He’s just a hawk.”

“He is no hawk or even a conservative. He’s just full of excuses with no real achievements to his name. I can’t believe there are still idiots who expect anything of this elderly plague which is ruining our nation.”

“This guy wouldn’t last 3 months as PM, would he?”

“The Great Empire of Japan was so much more proficient at statecraft. Japan has been castrated by America and made into a faggot nation – that’s the cause of all this.”

“Hurry up and die you addled old coot.”

“I like his military policies but it was pretty worrying seeing his shaking body on TV.”

“Once America goes bankrupt they’ll not be able to afford a vast military which can defend us. We need to hurry up and rearm before they collapse!”

“Military rule might be preferable to DPJ rule. But I think military types mean military control when they say ‘military state.’”

“Ishihara is no hawk, he’s just a nut. He attacks everything apart from Korea.”

“Sieg Nihon!”

“Those dirty Koreans really hate him! He’s necessary for Japan!”

“Constitutional reform, pachinko bans, nuclear armaments – he advocates it all without actually doing a single thing, that’s Ishihara in a nutshell.”

“I want to ask those Chinese just what merit they think there is in taking over a radioactive little island nation with no natural resources.”

@04:02
Realtime communication. Your argument fails to acknowledge the implications of a very significant technological advancement with significant implications in the power structure of any organization.

The majority of Japan does not care about the US military because Okinawa is a shitty island, with shitty island people, that was only recently was even considered part of Japan. The place even has it's own language. Japanese 'red' nationalists just use it an excuse to drum up anti-US military sentiment.

I resent that... Japanese has taken many islanders under its wings. It's kind of funny how some Japanese do really think Ainu and Okinawans are 'dirty islanders'. Shame. Maybe Japanese should try a hand at acceptance and understanding, not fear and stigmatization. Even of its own people.

Japanese people are always spreading the propaganda about people in the US military raping people or committing crimes, but they completely ignore the fact that Japanese still commit more crimes against Japanese people than anyone else.

They'd rather report on the two guys in the US military raping girls than the thousands of Japanese men doing it. And their biased reporting would lead you to believe that all the crimes in Japan are committed by those two foreigners.

"If you're a guest in a foreign country, commiting such crimes, proves great disrespect for your hosts."

Japan is so fucking stupid. Instead of worrying about the crimes all over their country that are committed by the Japanese, they are too busy thinking about the few foreigners committing crimes because "it's disrespectful."

The US has already proven that it will protect Japan. Do you really think no one has been threatening Japan all these decades? We've been neutralizing threats against Japan for years now. Particularly from North Korea. And the reason for having the base that close is for a FAST response to an attack.

"On February 12th, 2008 the National Police Agency (of Japan) or NPA, released its annual criminal statistics that included activity within the Okinawan prefecture. These findings held American soldiers responsible for 53 crimes per 10,000 U.S. male servicemen, while Okinawan males held a crime rate of 366 crimes per 10,000. The per capita crime rate of U.S. servicemen in Okinawa was found to be 14 percent of that of the Okinawan males."

"You just proved, that you people have no right to be stationed in Japan (if you're American) ~ and that you're a moron."

No, I said that only racist idiots think that a rape has more or less severity based on the race of the victim or the attacker. The fact that you would even focus on race instead of justice or the well-being of the victim is disgusting. You're a horrible human being.

"The host sets the rules !
And if you're not sensitive enough on the Japanese culture, you shouldn't be there in the first place !

What does this have to do with rape? I'm starting to think you have no reading comprehension.

"Unlikely some American scum will understand this though."

And you proved that you are racist. So you've proved my entire point that you're a racist idiot. Thanks stupid!

"If a foreigner does it, everyone feels much more attacked from outside.
While this is only natural, a society like the Japanese must feel even stronger about it."

No, that's not natural at all. Who cares where they are from? A human is a human and an attack is an attack.

The problem is that Japanese people allow themselves to see everything different as an attack against themselves. That's why no one can take them seriously. It makes them look stupid and weak to the rest of the world because they are always whining about someone else.

no actually there were bunch of causes when americans stationed in okinawa military base fucking with locals . one marine abducted , raped and killed little girl . then bunch of kids nearly killed a woman on scooter by tieing a rope across the road . and once a US chopper crashed into a school , the public relationships arent very good .

It's in my opinion an even worse crime if it's done by foreigners.
While the crime itself doesn't change, the mentality behind it, makes it worse.
If you're a guest in a foreign country, commiting such crimes, proves great disrespect for your hosts. When a native rapes a woman, it's more like a crime against her alone. If a foreigner does it, everyone feels much more attacked from outside.
While this is only natural, a society like the Japanese must feel even stronger about it.

What is with Japan's desire to "compete" with other countries? I mean, other countries might have a subconscious desire in some cases to compete, but truthfully people rarely think about it. Western countries generally know who their allies and enemies are, and each has its own brand of arrogance, but they don't really feel the need for that sort of obvious competitive status.

But I've seen so many reports from Japanese politicians and celebrities talking about "Japan needing to keep up with other countries" or "Japan needs to be able to compete with other countries."

It's like they are really compensating.

People are making a big deal about it here, but honestly if Japan got nukes and the US moved out, the rest of the world would shrug it off and go about their business, with no one thinking of Japan as strong or a threat. (Except for maybe South Korea who is right next door.)

I hope he realizes that at the first sign that he's trying to rise up to become the next Hitler, he WILL be assassinated. Like anyone would take a chance with that shit again. He'll probably have a bullet in him from each country.

Ishihara is a big mouthed idiot without even 1/100 of Hitler's speaking skills. And post WW1 Germany populace was far more susceptible to nationalist bullshit than Japan today.
Also, sending assassins is not exactly the best way to build steady foreign relationships. Trying to assassinate political leaders is the best way to give some foreign power a casus belli on your ass.

Rather, he has been impotent since long time, and is sour about it.
"If i can`t penetrate, despite i have the money for most expensive prostitutes, nobody will...let them all young men die in the war!"

Japan is banned from having nuclear weapons via post ww2 treaty, under explicit conditions. If they develop nuclear weapons, any nation would be immediately free to legally launch first strike, without fear of interference or retaliation from 3rd party.

Not sure about china, but north korea would certainly be more than happy to conduct some more tests on Japanese soil.

And y'know, the worst part is that the country's people is about as selective with their memory as old Ishihara. Seriously, I thought that that Japanese race as a whole was supposed to be smart, or at least pretend to be informed of the obvious.